


Restrictions

by Tarlan



Category: Primeval
Genre: Apocalypse, M/M, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-01-10
Packaged: 2018-09-14 12:40:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9182236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: When the world ended Becker and Lester escaped through an anomaly into the past.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [celeste9](https://archiveofourown.org/users/celeste9/gifts).



It should have been possible to stop the world ending but Lester had no idea how many time line changes had already taken place to get them to this point. Not that he knew if any changes had ever happened for certain as he'd never been through an anomaly until today, let alone caught on the wrong side when everything changed, but Cutter had insisted there were occasional repercussions from stepping into the past. He had talked of a Claudia Brown becoming Jenny Lewis, unable to move forward until he could leave his old memories of her behind. But that was Cutter. Obstinate man.

Lester wished Cutter was still alive because they could have used him right about now.

Matt's descriptions of the world ending had come to pass. All Philip's good intentions with his disastrous super-anomaly, wanting to give the world endless power in the hope of improving the life of every person on the planet, had brought about the apocalypse, though Lester had truly believed they were in the clear. Yet within days the air began turning toxic and strange storms started to lash across the world bringing more death and destruction as anomalies opened everywhere. The present had become the future world Matt had warned them about, and as the howls of the future predators who had jumped into the present began to echo through the desolate London streets, they had no choice but to escape through an anomaly or go underground, living like rats in a sewer.

Where he and Becker ended up didn't seem a whole lot better and they trudged for hours over sand dunes under a hot sun with the weight of everything they could carry on their backs, though Lester lamented the fact he had to leave several excellent new suits behind. It was a relief to find water, enough for drinking though not enough for sluicing off the sand that really did get everywhere and chafed like a bitch.

"I need to check that wound," Becker demanded and Lester bristled, but he didn't have the energy to tell Becker he wasn't the one giving orders around here.

Becker came up behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder, fingers digging into the knotted muscles of his neck and shoulder. It was sheer bliss for a moment, reminding him of a similar action just after he'd been injured. He had never noticed Becker being so tactile with anyone else. Occasional touches, yes, but none so intimate as that unexpected massage.

"I do need to take a look," Becker asked more softly. "Make sure you haven't pulled the stitches."

Lester let Becker manhandle him, wincing a little as he pressed on the wound to ensure there was no infection hiding underneath.

"It's healing well."

"Well at least there's some good news."

"We best keep moving as I have no idea how long that second anomaly will stay open."

They reached the anomaly several hours later, sending through a test kit attached to a piece of rope to check the conditions on the other side.

"Well?" Lester asked.

"Breathable air with higher CO2 and oxygen levels. No man-made pollutants..." Becker shrugged. "It could be the Cretaceous period."

"Dinosaurs," Lester sighed. "Just what we need."

"Better than staying here in the Silurian," Becker stated. "It's only luck we haven't come across any of those giant scorpions Cutter mentioned in one of his reports."

"Giant scorpions?" Lester grimaced at the thought. "Oh yes, I remember those. Fine. Let's go."

Becker went through with Lester right behind him, and the first thing Lester felt was relief; they were no longer under a hot desert sun. The second was joy at the sound of running water. Becker found a defensible spot with a high rock wall at their back and one side, and the stream on another. Ignoring his usual paranoia over unclean water sources and prehistoric germs or other nasty creatures, Lester stripped out of his itchy, sand-covered clothes down to his boxers and waded out into the shallow stream, dipping slightly lower to allow the current to wash away the grains of sand that had got literally everywhere. Keeping his upper body out of the water as he really didn't want his wound to get infected, Lester put his head under to give his itchy scalp some blessed relief. When he finally felt clean enough he looked back at the bank to find Becker watching him and deliberately misconstrued the needy look in his eyes.

"Yes. It's your turn now, Becker."

He felt a little guilty watching Becker strip off his TAC vest and military clothes but justified it as watching Becker's back in case of an animal attack. Becker was cleanly built, muscular without an ounce of fat on him but Lester knew he would spend at least an hour, sometimes more, in the ARC's gym each day, keeping in shape. Lester used to work out too, preferring to remain fit in case he had to fight any more future predators, though it hadn't done him a whole lot of good when they attacked... was it only a week ago?

He remembered Becker half carrying him to the medical unit, efficiently dealing with his wound and putting him on a drip before sealing him inside. He also remembered the worried eyes, gentle caresses, and soft reassurances before Becker left to hunt down the future predators. Abby mentioned Becker had taken both his time and a lot of pleasure in killing one of the creatures she managed to 'freeze' using low frequency sound waves. Lester was no fool. He had a knack for reading people. He knew how Becker felt about him, and he could admit he'd liked the boost to his ego, feeling flattered as long as Becker didn't make it too obvious. So they had both acted like professionals around each other while making surreptitious glances, until the attack last week.

Becker looked back at him, head cocking to one side when he noticed Lester's open appreciation. He walked back slowly and sank down on the ground beside Lester, chickening out by suddenly fussing over the wound low on Lester's right side, but Lester had already made up his mind what he wanted. He was too tired to continue playing games, pussyfooting around the giant elephant in the room. His marriage had been over for years, and he only mentioned the ex-wife when he wanted to play down a potentially embarrassing situation. With the end of the world he was no longer... How had Cutter put it, 'a government backed hatchet man', who kept his personal life strictly out of the public arena so he could carry out Whitehall's orders as he saw fit. There was no longer a government to appease back in their time, and he was tired of holding back on his own needs and desires, putting up a front.

For the first time Lester reached back and let his fingers massage Becker's neck and shoulder, feeling the tension drain away as their eyes met. Two battle weary men, one armed with a gun, the other a pen... until recently.

As they kissed for the first time Lester had to smile. It had taken him over 65 million years to finally break free of the restrictions he had imposed upon his own life.

END  
 


End file.
